A new generation of green skyscrapers could help alleviate worldwide climate change, writes a University of Illinois at Chicago urban planner in a new book.
"Eco-Towers: Sustainable Cities in
the Sky" describes groundbreaking designs and built projects around the
world, with 250 color photographs and drawings. The book explores
seawater-powered air conditioning, large-scale recycling of gray and black
water, helical wind turbines and sunlight-sensing LED lights.
As
architects design taller buildings that serve more people and demand more from
the environment and infrastructure, any improvement in their design and
construction will benefit cities, says Kheir Al-Kodmany, professor of urban
planning and policy.
"A tall building is an integral
piece of the city infrastructure," he says. "The true green
skyscraper is one that forms symbiotic relationships with the social, economic,
environmental and transportation aspects of its urban context."
Formerly
an architect with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Al-Kodmany teaches urban
design and served as a consultant on high-rise development in Amman, Jordan; a
people-moving system for the Hajj for the Saudi government; and crowd
management for the Taste of Chicago. He considers green high-rises a
large-scale answer to large-scale problems.
"The
long life-cycle of a skyscraper justifies the initial cost of green features,
whether they are incorporated into new buildings or retrofitted into old
ones," he says.
The
author examines green rating systems, including the U.S. Green Building
Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).
"In
only 15 years, LEED has fostered a green industry and a movement toward better
buildings overall," Al-Kodmany says. "It has constantly raised the
bar by requiring more nuanced, sophisticated measures to enhance buildings'
performance. In the same manner, it has stirred a competition with other green
systems."
Al-Kodmany
says green technology drives new aesthetics, and he calls some innovative
skyscrapers "eco-iconic." He describes new materials and technologies
that will make eco-towers more prevalent: compressed, fire-resistant hardwoods
in buildings as tall as 30 stories, UltraRope elevator cables that are stronger
yet lighter to increase speed and reduce energy use, and heliostats --
computerized mirrors that maximize reflected light.
He
also recalls the history of green design since the 1890s, when architects
designed early skyscrapers in "H" or "U" shapes or with
central atria to maximize natural sunlight and ventilation. Al-Kodmany notes
that iconic towers like the Chrysler Building have always relied on natural
ventilation and daylight, while the Empire State Building has been retrofitted
to meet LEED gold and platinum standards.
Al-Kodmany
says eco-towers are likely to prevail despite questions about marketability and
regulation because they respond to a growing urban population.
"Increasing
demand will shape the future," he says. "Ultimately, the eco-tower
that embraces the technology of an era, local culture and the environment while
being cost-effective will set the path."
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